[X4U] audio line-in & microphone

[Jon Warms]

On Dec 30, 2005, at 14:52:42 +0100,
alexandre <mac.k at a2k.ch> wrote:

> yesterday i bought a cheap (€10 with skypeout credit) headset to use
> with skype. it's basically the same as as a mobile phone headset
> except it plugs into the headphone and line-in ports of my mac.
> when i go into the sound preferences and select "line-in" the input
> level remains at 0. i did some researching on google and found out
> the line-in port don't work with unpowered deviced, such as my
> headset. can anyone confirm?

One issue is that many powerbooks and iMacs have built-in
mics. To use Skype with these computers, one only needs an
ordinary headset (earphones only). I've used a Virgin Airlines
earmuff successsfully.

But other models, such as Power Macs and iBooks, don't
have the mic and require an external mic. For my G5, I bought
a standard microphone with a standard mini plug. Then I
bought a Griffin iMic. On my G5, I plug the mic into the iMic, the
iMic into a USB port, and my headset into the headphone jack
on the G5. I feel this is a better solution than the USB mic
because I can use any old mic, and because the iMic has come
in handy for other uses as well.

Jon